I don't know where your habitat is at, but where I'm located the brisk winds of Autumn have begun to blow. The nights are down right cold and the days, while some still warm, have an undertone of chill that's letting us know that Winter is on it's way.
It's time to start thinking of ways to keep your house warm and toasty, and energy efficient. A great place to begin is your windows.
The transmission of air and light is generally the most important
function of windows. We all love sunshine and fresh air. However, windows are a large source of heat loss in the winter, which then produce higher energy bills. A typical home may
lose up to 30% of its heat through windows. Properly
installed energy-efficient windows can go a long way toward improving
this situation.
There are many factors that affect a window's energy efficiency.
Whether they are single or multiple-paned, gas-filled, Low-Emittance
(Low-E) coated, and even the material of the window frame all contribute
to a window's performance. One excellent resource is www.efficientwindows.org,
which provides detailed information on these specifications and how to
select windows appropriate for various climates. An experienced window
contractor can also be a good source of information and recommendations.
Homeowners should check with their local utility to find out about
possible rebates and other incentives for the purchase of new,
energy-efficient windows.
Of course, replacing windows is not always a viable option. However,
there are steps you can take to improve your energy savings
without replacing windows such as making sure windows are properly
caulked, keeping weather stripping in good repair, and using storm
windows will help. Putting window coverings is another good way to
reduce heat loss in winter.
Improving energy efficiency throughout the home means cost savings to you
the homeowner. So check your windows, it's a great first step in reducing your monthly energy bill.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Do You Know Where Your Energy Dollars Are Going?
The
typical household uses more than 11,300 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of
electricity each year. On average, that is an annual cost of $1,340,
according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Where are all of these
energy dollars going?
In most homes, air conditioning uses more
energy than any other appliance. Add to this the significant amount of
power used by a furnace blower—even in a gas-fired unit—and space
conditioning is the first place to look for energy-saving opportunities.
Have your furnace and air conditioner cleaned and inspected annually by
a qualified professional. Make sure your home is properly insulated and
weatherized around doors and windows. Consider installing a whole-house
fan; they use far less energy than a central air-conditioning system.
If you use an electric water heater, the best way to reduce costs is to use less hot water. Taking shorter showers and installing low-flow fixtures on faucets and shower heads will help; along with waiting until you have a full load to run your clothes washer and dishwasher. Additional energy-saving tips include the following:
When replacing home appliances and electronic equipment, purchase models that are ENERGY STAR
certified for efficiency. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S.
Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which
encourages the use of energy-saving practices and products.
If you use an electric water heater, the best way to reduce costs is to use less hot water. Taking shorter showers and installing low-flow fixtures on faucets and shower heads will help; along with waiting until you have a full load to run your clothes washer and dishwasher. Additional energy-saving tips include the following:
- Turn off lights when you leave a room and install energy-efficient, compact-fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
- Unplug devices such as stereo equipment or TV set-top boxes that continue to use power when switched off.
- Install a programmable thermostat to adjust temperatures when you are asleep or not at home.
- Air dry laundry whenever possible; it saves energy and extends the life of clothing.
- Open windows during the summer to take advantage of natural cooling. Use ceiling fans to increase air circulation; making the house feel cooler.
- Use window treatments to reflect hot summer sun and insulate your home on cold winter nights.
Average Monthly Energy Use of Common Household Devices | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Air Conditioner* | 720 kWh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electric Water Heater | 400 kWh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dehumidifier | 230 kWh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Furnace Blower* | 105 kWh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Whole House Fan | 96 kWh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clothes Dryer | 80 kWh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clothes Washer | 75 kWh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Refrigerator/Freezer | 60 kWh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lighting | 60 kWh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Flat Screen TV | 35 kWh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Heating and cooling estimates apply only during summer and winter months and can vary depending on climate. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday, September 15, 2012
SIMPLE TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR CREDIT SCORE
Here are some tips on how to improve your credit score before seeking a pre-approval letter. Understanding "how" banks look at your credit and credit history is important. If you don’t know what can hurt your
score, you could make the wrong move. Lenders are very interested in
the ratio of your current balance to the available limit. They like to
see that you can handle credit, but that you also won’t give in to
temptation and use all your available credit. For this reason, don’t
consolidate all your cards onto one card. This will most likely change
your ratio for the worse. Let’s look at an example.
Say you have the following cards:
Credit card #1: balance $5,000/limit $10,000. Ratio 50%.
Credit card #2: balance $1,500/limit $7,500. Ratio 20%.
Credit card #3: balance $3000/limit $5000. Ratio $60%.
These are all in a decent
range, which helps you have a good credit score. Now let’s say you
consolidate, so that you take the total debt of $9,500 and put it on a
card with a $12,000 limit card. This would put you up to nearly 80%,
which would hurt your score. Even though your debt is the same, the
ratio is now very high, which worries lenders.
You should also never request to lower your limit on a credit card. If you do, the ratio will increase, lowering your score.
For instance, if you had $1000
on a credit card with a $5000 limit, you’d have a 20% ratio. This is
very good. If you request that they cut the limit to $2000, your ratio
would increase to 50%. Even though your debt is the same, it is now a
higher percentage of the total limit.
Another mistake people can
make is to get rid of a bunch of older credit cards. They worry that
lenders might not like that they have so many cards. The problem is that
lenders like to see that you have a long track record with your
creditors.
Lenders want to know that you
can handle debt on a long-term basis because they are considering
loaning you a large sum of money for 30 years. If you cancel your old
cards, your score will go down. If you want to get rid of cards, start
with the more recent ones.
It is also a bad idea to close
an account which has a balance. If you have $20 on a card with an
available limit of $0, that maxes out the card and drives your score
down.
On the other hand, if you
raise your limit you can lower your overall ratio and improve your
score. The trick here is to have discipline and make sure that you don’t
use the extra funds you now have available.
These tricks and tips might
seem counter-intuitive until you understand the logic of the
credit-scoring system. Following these guidelines can help raise your
score and qualify you for a good mortgage loan.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Now's the Time to Prepare Your Lawn for Next Spring
Just read this great article from Popular Mechanics on what to do for your lawn now, to prepare it for next Spring. I'm not one to get into doing yard work, but it seems doing a little now, really helps down the road.
"Many homeowners think lawns need less care in the fall because the grass grows more slowly. In fact, just the opposite is true. During this time of year, grass is busily absorbing energy, moisture, and nutrients in preparation for a long, dormant winter. Give it a little attention now, and you'll be rewarded with a lush, healthy spring lawn. Just follow these six tips.
Keep on Mowing
Continue to water and mow your lawn, as needed, throughout the fall. Then as the season draws to a close, drop the mower's blade to its lowest setting for the last two cuttings of the year. That will allow more sunlight to reach the crown of the grass, and there will be less leaf to turn brown during the winter.
*Note: As you lower the blade, just remember not to trim off more than one-third of the grass blades at any one time. If necessary, gradually lower the cutting height until the time of the final two cuttings.
Aerate the Soil
Fall is also an ideal time to aerate your lawn so that oxygen, water, and fertilizer can easily reach the grass's roots. You can rent a gas-powered, walk-behind lawn aerator for about $70 per day. The self-propelled machine will quickly punch holes into the soil and extract plugs of dirt. If you've got a very large yard—say, more than 3 or 4 acres—and don't feel like aerating it yourself, hire a landscaping contractor.
Rake the Leaves
I know raking leaves is no one's idea of fun, but it's important to remove fallen leaves from your lawn as soon as possible. Don't wait until all the leaves have fallen from the trees to start raking. If you do, the leaves will become wet from rain and morning dew, stick together, and form an impenetrable mat that if left unmoved will suffocate the grass and breed fungal diseases.
An alternative to raking leaves is to use a lawnmower fitted with a collection bag or vacuum system. These methods are particularly effective if you have a very large yard with many deciduous trees. Regardless of whether you use a rake or a lawnmower, just be sure to remove the leaves before they turn into a soggy, suffocating mess.
Fertilize for Future Growth
Most lawn experts agree: If you fertilize your lawn only once a year, do it in the fall. The reason? Grass leaves grow much more slowly as the weather turns cool, but the grass roots and rhizomes continue to grow quickly. (Rhizomes are the horizontal plant stems that lie just beneath the soil's surface; they produce the blades of grass above and the roots below.) A fall application of fertilizer delivers essential nutrients for the grass to grow deep roots now and to keep nutrients on reserve for a healthy start next spring.
Wait until mid-to-late fall, then apply a dry lawn fertilizer to all grassy areas; be careful not to miss any spots. You could use a crank-style broadcast spreader, but for optimum coverage, consider using a walk-behind drop spreader. It takes a little longer, especially on hilly yards, but a drop spreader provides the best way to apply an even, consistent layer of fertilizer.
Fill in Bald Spots
Autumn is also a great time of year to fix any bare, bald spots in your lawn. The quickest, easiest way to do this is with an all-in-one lawn repair mixture. Sold at most garden shops and home centers, this ready-to-use mixture contains grass seed, a special quick-starter lawn fertilizer, and organic mulch.
Use a garden rake to scratch loose the soil at the bald spot in your lawn. Then spread a thick layer of the lawn repair mixture over the area. Lightly compact the mixture, then water thoroughly, and continue to water every other day for two weeks.
Weed Control
If broadleaf weeds like dandelions have taken over your lawn, now's the time to fight back. Weeds, like most plants, are in the energy-absorbing mode during the fall. They're drinking in everything that comes their way, including weed killers. Apply an herbicide now and the weeds won't return in the spring.
Read the package label before use. Most herbicide manufacturers recommend applying the weed killer during early-to-mid autumn, when daytime temperatures are consistently above 60 degrees Fahrenheit."
"Many homeowners think lawns need less care in the fall because the grass grows more slowly. In fact, just the opposite is true. During this time of year, grass is busily absorbing energy, moisture, and nutrients in preparation for a long, dormant winter. Give it a little attention now, and you'll be rewarded with a lush, healthy spring lawn. Just follow these six tips.
Keep on Mowing
Continue to water and mow your lawn, as needed, throughout the fall. Then as the season draws to a close, drop the mower's blade to its lowest setting for the last two cuttings of the year. That will allow more sunlight to reach the crown of the grass, and there will be less leaf to turn brown during the winter.
*Note: As you lower the blade, just remember not to trim off more than one-third of the grass blades at any one time. If necessary, gradually lower the cutting height until the time of the final two cuttings.
Aerate the Soil
Fall is also an ideal time to aerate your lawn so that oxygen, water, and fertilizer can easily reach the grass's roots. You can rent a gas-powered, walk-behind lawn aerator for about $70 per day. The self-propelled machine will quickly punch holes into the soil and extract plugs of dirt. If you've got a very large yard—say, more than 3 or 4 acres—and don't feel like aerating it yourself, hire a landscaping contractor.
Rake the Leaves
I know raking leaves is no one's idea of fun, but it's important to remove fallen leaves from your lawn as soon as possible. Don't wait until all the leaves have fallen from the trees to start raking. If you do, the leaves will become wet from rain and morning dew, stick together, and form an impenetrable mat that if left unmoved will suffocate the grass and breed fungal diseases.
An alternative to raking leaves is to use a lawnmower fitted with a collection bag or vacuum system. These methods are particularly effective if you have a very large yard with many deciduous trees. Regardless of whether you use a rake or a lawnmower, just be sure to remove the leaves before they turn into a soggy, suffocating mess.
Fertilize for Future Growth
Most lawn experts agree: If you fertilize your lawn only once a year, do it in the fall. The reason? Grass leaves grow much more slowly as the weather turns cool, but the grass roots and rhizomes continue to grow quickly. (Rhizomes are the horizontal plant stems that lie just beneath the soil's surface; they produce the blades of grass above and the roots below.) A fall application of fertilizer delivers essential nutrients for the grass to grow deep roots now and to keep nutrients on reserve for a healthy start next spring.
Wait until mid-to-late fall, then apply a dry lawn fertilizer to all grassy areas; be careful not to miss any spots. You could use a crank-style broadcast spreader, but for optimum coverage, consider using a walk-behind drop spreader. It takes a little longer, especially on hilly yards, but a drop spreader provides the best way to apply an even, consistent layer of fertilizer.
Fill in Bald Spots
Autumn is also a great time of year to fix any bare, bald spots in your lawn. The quickest, easiest way to do this is with an all-in-one lawn repair mixture. Sold at most garden shops and home centers, this ready-to-use mixture contains grass seed, a special quick-starter lawn fertilizer, and organic mulch.
Use a garden rake to scratch loose the soil at the bald spot in your lawn. Then spread a thick layer of the lawn repair mixture over the area. Lightly compact the mixture, then water thoroughly, and continue to water every other day for two weeks.
Weed Control
If broadleaf weeds like dandelions have taken over your lawn, now's the time to fight back. Weeds, like most plants, are in the energy-absorbing mode during the fall. They're drinking in everything that comes their way, including weed killers. Apply an herbicide now and the weeds won't return in the spring.
Read the package label before use. Most herbicide manufacturers recommend applying the weed killer during early-to-mid autumn, when daytime temperatures are consistently above 60 degrees Fahrenheit."
Friday, September 7, 2012
Home Sales and Prices Continue to Rise
More good news for the Housing Sector as reports of Home Sales and Home Prices continue to steadily rise. This is a press release from the National Association of Realtors:
WASHINGTON (August 29, 2012) - Pending home sales rose in July to the highest level in over two years and remain well above year-ago levels, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 2.4 percent to 101.7 in July from 99.3 in June and is 12.4 percent above July 2011 when it was 90.5. The data reflect contracts but not closings.
Lawrence Yun , NAR chief economist, said the index is at the highest level since April 2010, which was shortly before the closing deadline for the home buyer tax credit. "While the month-to-month movement has been uneven, more importantly we now have 15 consecutive months of year-over-year gains in contract activity," Yun said.
Limited inventory is constraining market activity. "All regions saw monthly increases in home-buying activity except for the West, which is now experiencing an acute inventory shortage," Yun added.
The PHSI in the Northeast increased 0.5 percent to 77.0 in July and is 13.4 percent higher than a year ago. In the Midwest the index grew 3.4 percent to 97.4 in July and is 20.2 percent above July 2011. Pending home sales in the South rose 5.2 percent to an index of 111.7 in July and are 15.6 percent above a year ago. In the West the index slipped 1.7 percent in July to 109.9 but is 1.3 percent higher than July 2011.
Existing-home sales are projected to rise 8 to 9 percent in 2012, followed by another 7 to 8 percent gain in 2013. Home prices are expected to increase 10 percent cumulatively over the next two years.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Fact or Fable? Household Electronics Use More Energy When They Are Turned Off
A study by the Consumer Electronics Association found that for electronics as a whole, 68% of total energy use takes place during active use. Off mode accounts for 24% of energy use, while idle or sleep mode makes up the remaining 8%. Off mode means the device is turned off, but still plugged in, while equipment in idle mode is turned on, but not being used. (Roth 2007)
Energy use varies by device, however. The following table compares the active and standby power use of commonly used consumer electronics equipment:
| Annual Energy Use of Electronics Devices By Power Mode | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Device | Active | Idle | Off | ||
| Compact Audio, such as CD Player/Alarm Clocks | 23% | 15% | 62% | ||
| DVD Player | 12% | 27% | 61% | ||
| TV Set Top (Cable or Satellite) Box | 32% | N/A | 68% | ||
| Laptop Computer | 82% | 3% | 15% | ||
As the table indicates, the off mode accounts for more than 60% of the energy use of set-top boxes and audio video equipment, while active mode dominates energy consumption for laptop computers. Why the difference? Electronic devices vary in how they are used and in their power draw (how much energy they use at any given time). For example, set-top boxes and laptop computers are generally in active use about one-third of the time. However, laptops have a substantially higher power draw in active mode, while the power draw of a set-top box is about the same whether turned on or off. That is why two-thirds of set-top energy use takes place in off mode.
Reducing Standby Energy Losses
The average U.S. household spends $100 per year to power electronics and appliances while they are in standby power mode, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. So what can you do to stop wasting your energy dollars?- Unplug devices that are rarely used. An example would be a television and DVD player in the guest room.
- Unplug battery chargers for electronic devices when the batteries are fully charged.
- Use a power strip as a central shut-off point for a cluster of electronics products, such as a home office or entertainment console.
- Purchase ENERGY STAR qualified electronics that have low standby power and other power management features. When installing a Pay TV service, ask the supplier to provide an ENERGY STAR qualified set-top box.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
The Housing Bust is Over
Or at least that's according to this Wall Street Journal Article. I can tell you that the market in my area has certainly turned the corner. Many houses on the market this Spring had multiple bids and sold for over their list price. That hasn't happened in a number of years.
Yet as we know, Real Estate is local and what happens in one area doesn't necessarily happening everywhere. Chime in if you'd like and let me know what the Real Estate Climate is like in your town.
The U.S. finally has moved beyond attention-grabbing predictions from housing "experts" that housing is bottoming. The numbers are now convincing.
Nearly seven years after the housing bubble burst, most indexes of house prices are bending up. "We finally saw some rising home prices," S&P's David Blitzer said a few weeks ago as he reported the first monthly increase in the slow-moving S&P/Case-Shiller house-price data after seven months of declines.
Nearly 10% more existing homes were sold in May than in the same month a year earlier, many purchased by investors who plan to rent them for now and sell them later, an important sign of an inflection point. In something of a surprise, the inventory of existing homes for sale has fallen close to the normal level of six months' worth despite all the foreclosed homes that lenders own. The fraction of homes that are vacant is at its lowest level since 2006.
The reduced inventory of unsold homes is key, says Mark Fleming, chief economist at CoreLogic, a housing data-analysis firm. For the past couple of years, house prices have risen in the spring and then slumped; the declining supply of houses for sale is reason to believe that won't happen again this year, he says.
Builders began work on 26% more single-family homes in May 2012 than the depressed levels of May 2011. The stock of unsold newly built homes is back to 2005 levels. In each of the past four quarters, housing construction has added to economic growth. In the first quarter, it accounted for 0.4 percentage points of the meager 1.9% growth rate.
"Even with the overall economy slowing," Wells Fargo Securities economists said, cautiously, in a note to clients, "the budding recovery in the housing market appears to be gradually gaining momentum."
Economists aren't always right, but on this at least they agree: A new Wall Street Journal survey of forecasters found 44 believe the housing market has reached its bottom; only three don't. (The full results of the Journal's July survey will be released at 2pm ET)
Housing is still far from healthy despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to resuscitate it by helping to push mortgage rates to extraordinary lows: 3.62% for a 30-year loan, according to Freddie Mac's latest survey. Single-family housing starts, though up, remain 60% below the 2002 pre-bubble pace. Americans' equity in homes is $2 trillion, or 25%, less than it was in 2002 and half what it was at the peak. More than one in every four mortgage borrowers still has a loan bigger than the value of the house, though rising home prices are reducing that fraction slowly.
Still, the upturn in housing is a milestone, a particularly welcome one amid a distressing dearth of jobs. For some time, housing has been one of the biggest causes of economic weakness. It has now—barely—moved to the plus side. "A little tail wind is a lot better than a headwind," says economist Chip Case, the "Case" in Case-Shiller.
From here on, housing is unlikely to drag the U.S. economy down further. It will instead reflect the strength or weakness of the overall economy: The more jobs, the more confident Americans are about keeping their jobs, the more they are willing to buy houses. "Manufacturing had led growth and construction had lagged," JPMorgan Chase economists said last week."Now the roles are reversed: Manufacturing growth has slowed as private construction comes to life."
Plenty could go wrong. The biggest threat is a large shadow inventory of unsold homes, homes which owners won't put on the market because they are underwater, homes that will be foreclosed eventually and homes owned by lenders. They have been trickling onto the market, slowed in part by government efforts to delay foreclosures; a flood could reverse the recent rise in prices. Or the still-dysfunctional mortgage market could get worse. Or overly zealous regulators or a post-election change in government policy could unsettle mortgage lenders or home buyers.
But the housing bust is over.
Yet as we know, Real Estate is local and what happens in one area doesn't necessarily happening everywhere. Chime in if you'd like and let me know what the Real Estate Climate is like in your town.
Housing Passes a Milestone
By DAVID WESSEL
The housing market has turned—at last.The U.S. finally has moved beyond attention-grabbing predictions from housing "experts" that housing is bottoming. The numbers are now convincing.
Nearly seven years after the housing bubble burst, most indexes of house prices are bending up. "We finally saw some rising home prices," S&P's David Blitzer said a few weeks ago as he reported the first monthly increase in the slow-moving S&P/Case-Shiller house-price data after seven months of declines.
The U.S. finally has moved beyond
attention-grabbing predictions from housing "experts" that housing is
bottoming. The numbers are now convincing, according to David Wessel on
The News Hub. (Photo: Bloomberg News)
Nearly 10% more existing homes were sold in May than in the same month a year earlier, many purchased by investors who plan to rent them for now and sell them later, an important sign of an inflection point. In something of a surprise, the inventory of existing homes for sale has fallen close to the normal level of six months' worth despite all the foreclosed homes that lenders own. The fraction of homes that are vacant is at its lowest level since 2006.
The reduced inventory of unsold homes is key, says Mark Fleming, chief economist at CoreLogic, a housing data-analysis firm. For the past couple of years, house prices have risen in the spring and then slumped; the declining supply of houses for sale is reason to believe that won't happen again this year, he says.
Builders began work on 26% more single-family homes in May 2012 than the depressed levels of May 2011. The stock of unsold newly built homes is back to 2005 levels. In each of the past four quarters, housing construction has added to economic growth. In the first quarter, it accounted for 0.4 percentage points of the meager 1.9% growth rate.
"Even with the overall economy slowing," Wells Fargo Securities economists said, cautiously, in a note to clients, "the budding recovery in the housing market appears to be gradually gaining momentum."
Economists aren't always right, but on this at least they agree: A new Wall Street Journal survey of forecasters found 44 believe the housing market has reached its bottom; only three don't. (The full results of the Journal's July survey will be released at 2pm ET)
Housing is still far from healthy despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to resuscitate it by helping to push mortgage rates to extraordinary lows: 3.62% for a 30-year loan, according to Freddie Mac's latest survey. Single-family housing starts, though up, remain 60% below the 2002 pre-bubble pace. Americans' equity in homes is $2 trillion, or 25%, less than it was in 2002 and half what it was at the peak. More than one in every four mortgage borrowers still has a loan bigger than the value of the house, though rising home prices are reducing that fraction slowly.
Still, the upturn in housing is a milestone, a particularly welcome one amid a distressing dearth of jobs. For some time, housing has been one of the biggest causes of economic weakness. It has now—barely—moved to the plus side. "A little tail wind is a lot better than a headwind," says economist Chip Case, the "Case" in Case-Shiller.
From here on, housing is unlikely to drag the U.S. economy down further. It will instead reflect the strength or weakness of the overall economy: The more jobs, the more confident Americans are about keeping their jobs, the more they are willing to buy houses. "Manufacturing had led growth and construction had lagged," JPMorgan Chase economists said last week."Now the roles are reversed: Manufacturing growth has slowed as private construction comes to life."
Plenty could go wrong. The biggest threat is a large shadow inventory of unsold homes, homes which owners won't put on the market because they are underwater, homes that will be foreclosed eventually and homes owned by lenders. They have been trickling onto the market, slowed in part by government efforts to delay foreclosures; a flood could reverse the recent rise in prices. Or the still-dysfunctional mortgage market could get worse. Or overly zealous regulators or a post-election change in government policy could unsettle mortgage lenders or home buyers.
But the housing bust is over.
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